The Wolves Are Among Us
by Dobby's Angel is at Hogwarts
Summary: Skylar Cox is a normal girl, living out her days in boredom. Her parents up and move, taking her with them to California. The first day she starts school is when everything takes a turn. A mysterious boy named Ryder Williams gives her all his attention. After her seventeenth birthday, he growls the word "Mate," and she finds out she's not human. And that the wolves are among them.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! It's me! I'll be updating this story more often now that I've remembered that I had put it on this website in the first place ahaha. (Chpts 1 to 4 were already on here, but those have been updated if you have seen them already!) Alright! Well, read on, my lovelies!**

**One**

The sheets rustled and slid with my body as I groaned and rolled over onto my side, cracking open my eyes to see sunlight streaming in through my window. I instantly snapped my eyes shut, unable to keep them from being blinded by the bright light. The constant beeping of my alarm clock then tore through my half-asleep state, startling me into wakefulness. I gazed up at it, seeing 6:30 AM written in bold, red letters on the digital screen.

I let out a breath through my nose, ripping the white sheets from my body and reluctantly crawling out of bed. Slamming my hand down on the snooze button, I turned away from the bed that was calling me back to it and headed into my bathroom.

I quickly went through my morning routine, which consisted of showering and brushing my teeth. After I was done in the bathroom, I trudged back into my room, the towel wrapped firmly around my torso. I sluggishly stopped in front of my walk-in closet, deciding on what to wear for the day. I finally decided on dark, stonewashed jeans, and a simple, baby blue button up.

I quickly changed into matching undergarments before slipping on my clothes and applying some make-up in front of my mirror. I slipped on black sneakers, grabbed my backpack, and made my way slowly down the stairs and into the kitchen.

As soon as I walked in, I smelled bacon sizzling in the frying pan and coffee brewing in the pot. I smiled as I walked up behind my mother and snatched a piece of already cooked bacon from the plate beside the stove.

"Thanks, Mom!" I said, biting into it. She turned and looked at me, frustration written clearly on her face. "Oh, I hope you don't mind." I tried to hold in my smirk, but the corner of my mouth twitched up into one anyway.

Annoyance flashed across her face. "You know how I feel about this, Skylar." Worry bit at my mind as my nerves danced. She never used my full name.

I furrowed my brows as I stopped chewing and stared at her. "What's going on?" I asked slowly, afraid to find out the answer. "You never call me Skylar. Only when you're upset or angry." I set the bacon on the counter and crossed my arms over my chest, waiting for her to dump the unwanted answer on me.

She sighed and set down the tongs she was using to flip the bacon. "I wanted to wait until you were out of school, but…I see I have no other choice." She turned to face me and my face immediately fell. I knew what this was about. "We're moving."

And the penny dropped. Far.

I groaned in annoyance. "Mom!" I whined, rolling my head back. "Didn't I already tell you I don't want to move?" She just looked at me pointedly. "Yeah, I know," I snapped, giving her a heated glare. "It's not my decision to make." I turned away from her and gathered my things to leave for school. "Whatever," I muttered to myself, stomping out of the front door.

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, I pulled into the school's parking lot, my mind running over my list of classes I had for the day. I parked the car in the nearest parking space and climbed out, grabbing my bag as I did so, and made my way to the front of the school.<p>

My best friend, Mason, came up to walk beside me, flinging his arm around my shoulders. "Hey, Pipsqueak," he said, grinning down at me. I smiled at the use of my nickname before wrapping an arm around his waist. "So, I was thinking maybe this weekend we could go out to the laser center."

I started to grin, but then I remembered what my mother had told me and the smile slipped away. "Um, about that." I sighed, looking up at him to find he was already looking at me, meeting my gaze. "My parents are deciding to move." I passed before continuing. "I think we're moving before then by the way my mother talked about it this morning."

Disappointment flashed across his eyes as he frowned. "So, you're leaving me behind?" His voice was filled with sadness and I had to swallow the growing lump in my throat. I nodded sadly, looking away, no longer able to meet his gaze. "Oh…" He trailed off, and by the look on his face I knew he was too upset to say any more. I pulled away from him and headed inside, making my way to first period.

* * *

><p>After the school day was over, I begrudgingly made my way home. I took my time, taking the longer route this time, and went the speed limit- which was something I never did. I wanted to take as long as I could to get to my house. I didn't want to speed up the moving process any more.<p>

It was about thirty minutes later when I finally pulled into my driveway. I climbed out of the car, slowly making my way inside. I went straight up the stairs and into my room, not wanting to face my mother. But I knew I'd have to confront her sometime.

There was a knock at my door and my mother poked her head inside.

Or I could confront her now.

I sighed heavily and went into my closet, pulling out my two suitcases that sat on the top shelf. I dragged them out and tossed them onto my bed before facing my mother. "Yes?" I growled, crossing my arms over my chest. "Were you here to tell me to start packing because we're leaving as soon as possible?" The look on my mother's face showed her guilt. "Well," I huffed, turning back to my closet, "there's no need. I'm already on it."

I started pulling clothes off hangars and lugging them to my bed as my mother left my room. After about ten minutes, all the clothes that were neatly hung in my closet were now in a very untidy heap on my bed. I started folding the articles of clothing and placed them in an orderly fashion inside of the first suitcase until it was full. Then, I started filling up the second one.

Soon, I had stuffed as much as I could into each suitcase; I set them by my door. The pile of clothes that remained on my bed was still considerably large. I ran my fingers through my blonde locks, huffing as I glanced at my dresser. It was then that I realized I owned way too many clothes.

_Maybe I could give some to charity,_ I thought, placing the leftover clothes in boxes that had shown up in my room while I was gone. While sorting through them, I found a few that didn't fit, or didn't appeal to me anymore, so I tossed them to the side. _I'll try to find the donation center that's in the new town. I'll take them there eventually._

I continued to put away all the clothes until my bed had obtained its normality again. Sighing, I flopped backwards onto my bed, burying my face in my hands. Moving was something I hoped I'd never have to do, but my parents had to crush that as soon as they could. I didn't even know where we were moving to. I at least deserved to know that much.

Tossing my hands to the side, I stared at my white ceiling, lying unmoving until my mother called me down for dinner. Groaning, I stood up and left my room, casting a glance over my shoulder at all the boxes and my suitcases. I bit my lip before continuing down the hall. Bounding down the stairs, I entered the kitchen to see the table piled high with all of my favorite foods.

So, they're trying to bribe me. Well, that makes me feel loads better. Not.

My father pulled out a chair for me to sit in and I gladly took the seat, placing my hands on top of the table. My mother joined us soon after and smiled at me, her eyes twinkling. All I could do was glare at the table, trying to suppress a groan.

After a few moments of silence, I piled food onto my plate, ignoring my mother's cry of protest. I'm not one for saying Grace and she knows that.

I quietly ate my food while listening to my parents chat about the town we were moving to. According to my mother, it sounded nice. It was a medium sized town, so I would be able to easily navigate it. But the thing that irked me the most?

It was all the way across the country.

We currently live in Charlotte, North Carolina. The place we're moving to is Ventura, California.

"Great," I mumbled, shoveling another forkful of meat into my mouth. "Just what I want."

I quickly cleared my plate of all food and excused myself from the table. I ran upstairs and shut myself into my room, unable to face my parents until tomorrow, which was moving day.

I glanced at the clock on my nightstand. The time of 8:00 PM stared back at me, casting a red glow over my face in the dark. I slipped out of my day clothes, and threw on some pajama pants and a tank top before crawling into bed. The blankets, however, remained at the bottom of the bed, not coming up to hug my body due to the unbearably hot weather of North Carolina.

I made sure my cell phone was plugged in and charging before turning to face my wall. Thoughts about this new town plowed through my mind, not letting me fall asleep. Some thoughts about the new house invaded my mind as well, and I couldn't help but wonder what it looked like.

Mentally shrugging my shoulders, I closed my eyes, waiting for sleep to sweep me away. After a while, I fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p>My blaring alarm startled me awake and I sat up abruptly, my eyes wide as I took in my room. Everything from yesterday came rushing back to me, and I flopped back down, blowing my hair out of my face.<p>

I silently climbed out of bed, but failed to notice the sheets that had somehow wrapped themselves around my feet. The tangled mess around my ankles caused me to pitch forward, slamming into my carpeted floor with an _oof._

Climbing back to my feet, I untangled myself from the killer sheets and headed into the bathroom, rubbing my now sore chin. After my morning routine, I grabbed the clothes I had set out the night before and shrugged into them, tossing my nightclothes into my hamper.

A knock on my door had me turn, and I saw my father standing in the doorway. His eyes held regret; he knew I didn't want to move, but they were forcing me to anyway.

"We should start loading your stuff into the truck," he said, taking a step into my room. "That way we can set off before lunch."

I took a step away from him and looked down, nodding. "Okay. Just let me finish packing my stuff. It shouldn't take long." My ruffled blonde hair fell around my face, so I brushed it away, wrapping it up into a messy bun. "If you want, you can start taking those boxes down." I pointed to the boxes that were already full sitting by the door.

He nodded and complied, picking up two boxes. "I'll be back for more." With that, he headed downstairs.

I didn't pay any more attention to him, just turned away to my desk, dragging a box behind me. I emptied the drawers out one by one, shoving all the folders, books, and other things into the box. I pushed that box aside and grabbed another, heading to my dresser.

About an hour later, I had pretty much everything packed up, including the framed pictures of me and my friends. I sat down on the end of my stripped bed, hands in my lap, while staring at the floor.

I could only think of what the town would be like, how the people at the school would treat me. That was the thought that worried me the most. Would I be the new student that everyone took an instant liking to? Or would I be that new student that everyone decided to bully just for the fun of it?

That last thought caused a shiver to run up my spine.

I stood up, dragging my backpack and handbag with me and made my way downstairs. I followed my parents out to the driveway, where the moving truck and our cars sat. I climbed into my car, and pulled out, following my dad who drove the truck with his car pulled behind it. My mom followed me out in her car, and soon, we were on the highway, heading out west.

I couldn't help but think that this was going to be one hell of a long drive.


	2. Chapter 2

**And Chapter two is here as well. (For those of you who have read this chapter already, it has been updated, as well as chapters three and four.) Enjoy, everyone!**

**Two**

After being on the road for eight hours, my father decided to pull off the highway and into the parking lot of a hotel. I quickly parked my car and scrambled to get out, sighing as I felt the cramping muscles in my body ease out. Stretching, I looked around, taking in the bright lights of the city around us. Having no idea where we were, I looked around for some sort of sign that would help me out. Sadly, there were none.

Sighing, I grabbed my backpack and handbag, following my mother and father into the hotel while pressing the lock button on my car keys. When the car chirped, I felt a little more relaxed. My father and I waited in the sitting room while my mother got us a hotel room.

A few minutes later, she appeared, holding a keycard, and motioned for us to follow her. I begrudgingly stood up- that chair was really comfortable- and quickly jogged after my parents.

After climbing into the elevator and waiting for it to take us to the third floor, we finally found our room. I bid my parents a goodnight, climbed into bed, and passed out like there was no tomorrow.

* * *

><p>Around seven o'clock in the morning, we gathered our things and left the hotel, speeding off towards Ventura. That day, we drove twelve hours, stopping for food and to use the bathroom. We eventually made our way to another hotel and left when five o'clock in the morning came.<p>

Eighteen hours later, we finally made it to Ventura, California. After another thirty minutes, we eased to a stop outside of our new house.

All I could think was: _Holy mother of God. That house is huge._

I sat frozen in the car, gawking at the magnificent house that stood in front of me, towering high above. It seemed to be basking in all of its mansion glory. This three-story extravaganza seemed to be a bit much for just a family of three.

Once I recovered from the initial shock, I climbed out of my car, just as multiple people came pouring out of the house. I couldn't help the scream of shock that escaped my parted lips. "What- What- What the _hell_ are all these people doing in our house?" I demanded, rounding on my parents. I caught the smile on my mother's face a split second before it disappeared. "Well?"

A loud clang of metal sounded off to my left and I turned to see the back slide open. My dad spun around to face me, his hands on his hips. "They're our friends. They live here, too."

My gaze hardened. "And you never thought to tell me any of this?" I growled, crossing my arms over my chest, looking at the group of people that had gathered in front of the large house. "It would have been a wonderful heads up."

My dad shrugged, turning to resume opening the truck. "Well, I thought you wouldn't mind, especially because most of my friends have teenage boys around your age." I lost him at teenage boys.

I instantly grabbed my things and raced into the house while yelling over my shoulder, "Whatever room I end up in is mine!" which was followed by bouts of laughter from the group that was gathered outside.

Grinning, I ran up the first set of stairs I saw, emerging onto the second floor with wide eyes. The hall was wide, and not to mention long, so it seemed to run on forever. At the end of the hallway was a set of double doors, each wooden and white like the hall around it. One of the two doors opened and a tall, dark skinned guy stepped out, who seemed to be around my age.

"Hey!" I called, trying to get his attention. "Hey, which rooms are unoccupied?" I strolled towards him as he froze. The guy stared at me for a while, which, to be honest, was kind of unnerving. A few minutes passed and he hadn't answered me, so I awkwardly waved. "Yeah. Hi. I'm sure you've checked me out long enough. Can you tell me which rooms are unoccupied?"

That seemed to snap him out of his stupor. "Oh, um, yeah. Sorry." He rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed, as his cheeks flushed. "There are three rooms upstairs that are open. The biggest one is at the end of the hall." I grinned as he added on the last part. I didn't even know this guy, but he already knew what I was thinking.

Saying my thanks, I sprinted up the stairs, taking two at a time, and emerged, breathless, onto the landing. Two doors at the end of the hall caught my attention and I immediately made my way to them. Once there, I rested my hands on each golden handle, taking a breath as I gripped the cool metal. After a few moments, I pushed down on the handles, and the doors swung in.

The only thing I seemed to be able to do was stand in the doorway and gape at the incredibly large room that opened up in front of me. The one object in that room that really captured my attention was the king sized bed that sat in the center of the room against the wall. The duvet was fluffy, white, and oh-so-inviting.

I strode across the soft carpet to the four-poster bed and ran my hand across the smooth surface of the duvet, relishing in the fact that this was so totally going to be my room. Setting my bags on the floor at the foot of the bed, I turned, planning to explore more, when there was a knock on the doorframe. Looking over my shoulder, I saw my mother standing there, eyes wandering around the room.

She set down the two boxes she had in her hands. "I take it," she started, pushing the boxes towards me with her foot, "that this is going to be your room?"

I nodded vigorously, joining my mom in looking around the room. "Definitely."

Other than the bed, the room was decorated with a large dresser that sat along the right wall, a tall mirror placed on top. A desk was placed on the other side of the room, a new-looking laptop resting on its surface- something I thought was strange, but didn't think twice about. There were two doors, one beside the desk, and the other beside the dresser.

With curiosity getting the best of me, I opened the door beside the dresser first and found a magnificent walk-in closet, almost like the one I had at my old house. On the back of the door was a full-length mirror. Next came the door across the room. I found out that, that was the bathroom for the bedroom, and I was so ready to use that amazing looking shower.

Ending my search, I finally decided to bring the rest of my things up.

* * *

><p>That night, I flopped tiredly onto the four-poster bed, letting out a huff of air that blew the stray locks of hair out of my face. My legs hung off the side of the bed and the cool air flowed around them, causing Goosebumps to appear on my skin. Shivering, I jumped up and entered the now full closet, digging through the drawers to find my pajamas.<p>

After changing, I tossed my clothes into my hamper, and climbed under the soft covers of the bed after turning out the light. I lay there, staring up at the ceiling in the dark, wondering what the next day would bring for me. These past two days weren't that eventful, but I had a feeling that this upcoming week would be filled with interesting adventure.


	3. Chapter 3

**And more of my wonderfully sassy character! (I was told she was sassy. I just thought she was a lot like me! ha!)**

**Three**

The next morning, I was up and ready by seven, so I made my way down to the kitchen. I was somewhat surprised that I didn't get lost in the big and unfamiliar house, but I guess it was just luck.

I managed to choke down some orange juice and bacon before I headed out to my car and made my way to the school. I drove slowly, as I was unfamiliar with the roads. With living in a city for all my life, I wasn't used to all the winding back roads where deer jump out in front of you in random intervals. It looked like I would have to get used to it.

Once I reached the parking lot, I slowly drove around, trying to find an open parking space. Spotting one, I quickly pulled in and parked the car, scrambling for my backpack and hopping out of the car. Locking my vehicle, I made my way to the entrance of the school, feeling heat travel up my neck and into my face as I felt multiple gazes settle on my moving figure.

I picked up my pace, not wanting to be stared at any longer, and pushed open the doors, searching out the hallway for the office. Finally spotting it, I hastily made my way into the room and walked up to the desk where the secretary was perched behind it.

I cleared my throat, placing my hands on the cold counter top. "Excuse me?" I asked, peering over the counter.

The stout woman looked up, a smile instantly lighting up her young-looking face. "Hello. How may I help you?"

I swallowed and gave her a smile of my own before answering. "I'm new here. The name's Skylar. Uh, Skylar Cox."

"Ah, yes," she said, instantly turning and digging through a file. She pulled a piece of paper out of the manila folder, whipped around, and handed it to me. "Here's your schedule, and…a map of the school." She added on, handing me another paper.

I glanced down, taking in the classes that were printed on the paper that now took up the residence of my hand. My eyes skimmed back up to the top of the list, landing on the class I had first period. I mentally groaned.

English. The downfall of my entire high school career.

The one and only reason I failed to graduate the first time.

I eventually found my way to the English room, after getting lost about three times, and knocked on the door that stood slightly ajar. The noise in the room settled down immediately as the door opened to reveal a man in his late-thirties, and a class of about twenty people. All of their eyes settled on me, and, being the usual shy person I am around strangers, I looked down, my eyes tracing the lines of the tiles floor.

"You must be the new student," the teacher said, looking down at me with blue, calculating eyes. I nodded slowly, bringing my gaze up to meet his eyes. "Well, come on in, then." He stepped out of the way, motioning for me to enter the room and I did so hesitantly. Curse my natural shyness. "Class, this is our new student. May I introduce to you, Skylar Cox?"

I stood beside the tall teacher and gave a small wave and smile to the class, scanning each of their faces. Each of their countenances held curiosity that traced their features as they took in all of what stood before them: me.

After Mr. What's-His-Name pointed me to an empty seat, I made my way there, stepping over backpacks and dodging around any feet that flew out to try and trip me. Once there, I threw my backpack on the floor beside the desk and slid into the seat, brushing my blonde air behind my ears. I could still feel the gaze of the people nearest to me burning into my skin, so, I wrestled up the courage that I use every other minute, and sent each of them one of my famous cold, hard glares.

Each of the students turned away, but one continued to stare. Looking him right in the eyes, I spoke, my voice full of annoyance. "Don't you know it's rude to stare?" I asked, lifting my chin as his gaze darkened. "I'm guessing your mother didn't teach you manners."

When I said that, he stiffened, and many of the kids in the classroom gasped. It was like no one ever dared to speak out against this guy.

His eyes seemed to be growing darker the longer I held his stare, so I looked down, feeling an annoyingly prominent urge to submit. As I turned away, I hear him let out a huffy laugh and I could almost imagine the smirk that would be spread across his face. Peaking at him from the corner of my eyes, I saw that I was correct; his lips were turned up into a smirk. But, he also had a look of fond adoration on his face. Confused as to why, I turned back to face him once more.

"Is there something you need to tell me?" I tilted my head to the side, my eyes tracing the features of his face.

He raised an eyebrow, the adoration vanishing to be replaced by mild amusement. "No," he said, his voice surprisingly deep…and seemingly sexy. "Why would you think that?"

As he continued to speak, the vibrations of his voice sent shivers down my spine, and I tried hard to suppress it, but failed miserably. His smirked returned. "The look on your face," I paused and swallowed, mentally slapping the smug look from his face, "when you were looking at me. It's like you're in awe of me or something."

The amusement disappeared as quickly as it had come to be replaced with all seriousness. He leaned towards me, and I held my breath. "Because I am," he whispered, only loud enough for me to hear. Butterflies erupted in my stomach upon hearing those three simple words. As to why, I had no idea. He leaned away and spoke again, louder this time. "I'm Ryder Williams."

He stuck a hand out for me to shake and I took it hesitantly. It was warm and calloused, and seemed to fit with my hand perfectly. "Skylar Cox." It was a simple introduction, but for him, I guess it wasn't enough.

"Where are you from, Skylar?" He asked, curiosity outlining each and every word he spoke. Ryder smiled genuinely and seemed to physically relax as he realized I wasn't going to snap at him again.

"N-North Carolina. Charlotte to be exact." I looked down at my fiddling hands, feeling a blush burning up my neck. I don't know why I was reacting the way I was.

Ryder chuckled lightly. "Wow. Big city girl." He stopped talking and I could hear him scratching something- his chin, probably. I glanced at him as he spoke again. "What are you doing all the way over here in Ventura?"

I shrugged, letting out a sigh. "Honestly?" I looked back up, meeting his green-eyed gaze. "I have no idea."

* * *

><p>A loud, resounding sound snapped me out of my half-asleep state, and I looked up to see students in the art room streaming out of the door as the bell continued to ring for a few more seconds. Sluggishly gathering my things, I headed out the door, slowly making my way to the lunchroom where everyone seemed to be heading.<p>

Once I was in the doorway, I froze, taking in the sight before me. The cafeteria was huge, bigger than the one back at my old school. It was almost like a sea of different colors. Shrugging off the surprise that radiated through my body at the massive amount of students, I wound around the tables, searching for one that was empty. After a minute or so of searching, I found one near the back of the cafeteria, next to the wide bay windows that let the sunlight fill the large room.

I pulled one of the black, plastic chairs out, sliding into it and setting my backpack on the table. Zipping open the bag, I grabbed my packed lunch and dug in.

After a few minutes of eating my chips in silence, my lonesomeness was interrupted when someone pulled out the chair across from me and plopped down in the seat; a few more people did the same. I looked around, noticing that a few guys and a couple girls were now surrounding me. All seemed to be nice, but I still didn't like the way they were looking at me.

My eyes landed on one of the girls, who was dressed in a cheerleading uniform. Her strawberry-blonde, almost brown hair was tied up into a ponytail, finished off with a black and gold bow. When she saw me looking, she gave me a warm-hearted smile, and I internally relaxed. _At least the cheerleaders here are nice. Or seem to be._

Someone sat next to me, pulling my attention away from the cheerleader. It was Ryder. He reached over and draped an arm around my shoulders, causing a slight blush to emerge on my cheeks. Why my body reacted to him this way, I had no idea.

The guy across from me reached out his hand, as Ryder had a few hours ago in first period. "Hi. My name's Clayton," he introduced himself, smiling as his hand hovered in the air. When he realized I wasn't going to take it, he pulled it away and set it back on the table. "So, Ryder told us you're from North Carolina?"

The corners of my mouth twitched at the thought of Ryder talking about me. "That's right," I agreed, taking a long sip of my Sprite. Clayton muttered a 'cool' as I unwrapped my Subway sub that my mother had bought me the night before. "Were you all born here?"

"Nope!" came a cheery, accented voice from the head of the table. I looked over to see the cheerleader, her eyes twinkling. "I'm Kaila," she informed me, giving a small wave before scooting her chair forwards towards the table, making her hair bounce. "I was born over in the UK."

I grinned. "That's awesome." I took a bite from the sub, and, realizing how hungry I was, finished it all within a few minutes. We all chatted through lunch until the bell rang, signaling that it was time to head back to class. "I'll see you guys later!" I called, heading towards Pre-Calc and Trig.


	4. Chapter 4

**The fourth chapter of the story is upon us! (And I have 32 finished, ha ain't that a surprise!) Enjoy, my lovelies!**

**Four**

After the school bell rang, signaling the end of the day, I headed out of the school to the parking lot, my eyes scanning for the familiar blue of my car. Spotting the sleek surface of the Dodge Dart, I made my way over to it, groping for the keys that were hiding somewhere in my backpack. My fingers finally brushed the cool, specially cut metal of my keys, and I ripped them out of the bag, jamming my finger down on the unlock button. The lights of the car flashed and I heard the lock automatically unlock with a muffled _click._

I hurriedly opened the back door, tossing my backpack in and watching as it slid off the seat to land on the floor of the car with a dull _thump_. Sighing, I rolled my eyes and slammed the door shut before climbing into the driver's seat, shoving the keys into the ignition, starting the car and putting my seatbelt on at the same time.

I eventually made it back to the mansion, and when I pulled into the drive, I was confused as to how I got there. My mind had been on Ryder the whole drive home, and it was a wonder how I drove without even paying attention.

Mindlessly climbing out of my car, I slung my bag over my shoulder and made my way through the front door, up the two flights of stairs, and to my room. I still couldn't get over how large the room I chose was. I tossed my backpack down beside my desk, listening as the four-poster bed called my name. Casting a regretful glance at the soft duvet, I made a silent promise to go to bed early that night before exiting the room into the hallway.

A figure standing in front of the window at the end of the hall caught my attention. "Ryder?" I asked, confused, as I grew closer. My brows furrowed as the figure turned, revealing Ryder's familiar green eyes. "What are you doing here?"

The smile that stretched across his face when he saw me almost made my heart melt. "Skylar," he breathed, taking a step towards me. "I should as _you_ what _you're_ doing here. This _is_ my house." He let out a chuckle, running a hand through his hair.

I couldn't help the small smile that graced my lips. "I kind of live here, too." I looked down, my cheeks heating up slightly. "My parents and I moved here, like-" I tossed a hand towards the wall. "-two days ago. You weren't in the large group of people that came to greet us?"

Ryder shook his head, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets. "No, I was in my office." _He has his own office?_ I thought. "I have nowhere to sleep, though," he continued, "because it seems that someone took my room." He looked pointedly at me, giving me a playful glare.

My mouth dropped open, and the red reappeared on my cheeks. "Oh my God! I'm so sorry! I didn't- someone…someone told me that it was open, that no one stayed in it!"

He tilted his head to the side, his face forming a thoughtful look. "Was this a guy? Tal, dark skinned?" I nodded and Ryder grinned. "That was Paul. He always does that to new pa-" He cut himself off, clearing his throat, and redirected the sentence. "Residences. Moves everything of mine out in the few hours before they arrive."

I gave him a strange look while nodding slowly. "Right," I drawled, stepping around him and heading for the stairs, wanting to escape this weird encounter. "Well, I"ll move my stuff to a different room later. I'm gonna-"

Ryder cut me off. "No, you don't have to. We can share." I could hear the smirk in his voice.

That made me turn around and raise an eyebrow, weirded out by the mere thought of sharing a room with Ryder Williams. "Are you serious?" I let out a breathy laugh. "I've known you for a day and we aren't even dating-" A hint of hurt flashed across his eyes. "-or whatever. I'll move my things later."

With that said, I jogged the few feet to the stairs and propelled down them, my feet pounding on the wooden, oak stairs. As I rounded the corner at the bottom of the stairs, I heard Ryder call after me. "Just have the room!"

That made a ghost of a smile appear on my face.

* * *

><p>That night as evening rolled around, I found myself exiting the tree-line into a clearing I had found to see a large, open crack in the earth. As I walked closer, I could hear the roaring of rushing water far below the edge. I drew closer, and felt the first few drops of rain land on my skin. Soon, it was a steady pour. The gorge in front of me held my attention as the water roared louder, and I continued on, making the distance between me and the forest bigger.<p>

I warily shuffled closer to the sudden drop off as it grew nearer, peering over the lip of the sheer rock walls that surrounded the churning river a hundred feet below as I slowly grew closer to the crumbling edge. My right foot dangled over the drop momentarily before I quickly pulled it back, feeling my heart leap into my throat as the ground gave way where my foot was hovering just moments before. The pouring rain caused the ground to grow loose around the edge of the gorge.

Scrambling backwards away from the loose ground, with my heart still in my throat, I collapsed onto the wet grass, landing heavily on my rear, watching with wide eyes as more of the land plummeted in to the rocky waters below. I heard a faint splash as the detached earth landed in the fast-moving river.

My pounding heart was still slowing down by the time my mind registered that I was a safe distance away from the cliff that was falling apart. My bottom was now soaking wet, as well as the rest of my body, from the steady downpour and from the soaked ground. My shaking hands groped at the grass, clinging to the sturdy earth underneath me. I quickly scrambled to my feet, dashing back into the woods and finding my way back to the mansion.

I walked through the back door, shaking and cold with chattering teeth, to be greeted by warmth and the smell of garlic bread. I tried to hold in the moan of pleasure as the warmth swept over my cold body because my eyes locked with green ones. And a smile that would light up any girl's world spread across Ryder's face.

Never had I thought that I could make a guy see me and grin as wide as he could. Never.

I wrapped my arms around myself, rubbing my arms to help warm them up, while walking farther into the kitchen, leaving a trail of water droplets behind me. My mother strode in, stopping when she saw my appearance. She shook her head, obviously not caring why I was soaking wet, as I had returned like this many times before in North Carolina when it would pour. After taking in my appearance once more, she left, returning a few minutes later with a bath towel in her hands.


	5. Chapter 5

**To be honest, I don't really say anything important in these author's notes, so you don't really have to raed them. But just so I know if you read this one or not, comment the the two mistakes that I've purposely made in this one. Good luck ;) (I would actually really love if you reviewed on my story :3)**

**Five**

Wednesday morning was the morning that my alarm didn't wake me, but it was my parents that woke me instead. They burst into my room, leaving the double doors wide open so the rest of the house could see my ugly morning state, while screaming at the top of their lungs. My only reasonable response was to groan, and pull the sheets and duvet over my head as a weak attempt to shut out the obnoxious noise and light.

The "Happy birthday, Skylar's" were now slightly muffled, but were still loud enough to annoy the ever living daylights out of me. My parents were oblivious to the fact that it was five o'clock in the morning, a whole hour before I was supposed to get up.

Groaning once more, I threw the covers away from my head as I sat up, glaring hatefully at my mother and father who were standing at the foot of my bed, grinning and holding two presents in their hands. I eyed the wrapped gifts before throwing off the covers, standing up, and stomping past them into the en-suite bathroom. Before I disappeared into the room, though, I could see a few people standing right outside the bedroom doorway, doubled over with fits of laughter, and behind them Ryder stood, a smile on his face.

I then understood. My parents only did that for shits and giggles. How nice of them.

* * *

><p>Two hours later, I pulled into the school's parking lot, my stomach buzzing with excitement. I quickly gathered my things, climbed out of my Dart, and locked it. Making my way to the school, I shivered as an arm threw itself around my shoulders and settled there. I looked up to see Ryder looking ahead at the school, as if he didn't do anything.<p>

"Hey," I laughed, smiling up at him. He looked down at me and met my gaze, pausing mid-step. I stopped with him as he continued to stare. "Ryder?"

"Skylar, how old are you today?" Was all he said, still holding my gaze while his eyes grew darker with each passing second.

I swallowed and answered him tentatively. "Eighteen." Raising an eyebrow, I tilted my head to the side. "Why?"

Ryder didn't answer, but seemed to gaze deeper into my eyes, transfixed by whatever he saw in them. I could hear a rumbling sound coming from him, and I could feel the vibrations run up my arm, through my shoulders, and into my chest. They settled into my heart, causing the repetitious beats to speed up, and the butterflies in my stomach stirred restlessly.

I could hear a voice in the back of my mind screaming one, simple word over and over again, as happily as they could. For some reason, that one word cause a quiet, animalistic growl to form in my chest.

But it also caused me to double over, falling to my knees from the pain that ran from my head to my toes like rapidly spreading fire. Curling in on myself, I clenched my sides, gritting my teeth as the pain pulsed with each beat of my heart. I could feel my muscles straining and pulling. I could even feel an invisible force putting pressure on what seemed like every bone in my body.

Letting out a distressed cry, I looked up at Ryder, who now knelt beside me, worry and understanding covering his face. "What's happening?" I gasped, falling onto my side as black spots danced across my vision. The spots disappeared, allowing me to have my vision back for a few seconds to notice that Clayton, Kaila, and Hannah- the other cheerleader- were all kneeling beside me as well. The black spots returned.

I could only hear Kaila's frantic voice as the pain continued to grip me in its hands. "We need to get her away from here! She can't! Not here, not now!" Arms found their way under me, only worsening the pain that I was experiencing. I let out a scream of anguish as one of my bones finally gave way under the pressure. "Get her out, now!"

A few minutes later, the person carrying me gently set me down. I could feel leaves crunch under my throbbing body, but the small twigs and acorns that dug into my skin made it feel like knives were being shoved into my arms and back. Every time another bone popped, I screamed, squeezing my eyes shut so tight it hurt. I could still hear the frantic, fear-filled voices coming from the other three around me as I struggled to keep conscious.

I couldn't breathe. The pain was so severe I could only feel my consciousness slipping little by little, with each ragged breath I took. Only Ryder's voice was what kept me just above the surface. With each bone that broke, I could feel its shape, length, and position change. And, finally, with one last crack, the pain subsided. Everything was so silent; silent enough that the only thing I could hear was my uneven breaths, still racing heart, and the calm breaths of the others.

Still too afraid to open my eyes, I tried to ask Ryder what happened, but all that came out was a dog-like whine. At this, my eyes shot open and I quickly took in all that was laid out before me. Everything was so much clearer than before. It was almost like I was looking through a new set of eyes.

Then, I looked down at my hands. But they weren't there. Massive, cream-colored paws were in their place. As I examined what had happened to my body, one thought kept running through my mind; one I didn't want to believe.

I'm a wolf. It kept repeating itself over and over again.

I looked at Ryder, confusion making itself known on my face. He only smiled wide at the sight of me as a wolf. I whined, silently asking him what I should do.

"Shift back," he said simply. I made a 'duh' face, silently asking him how I was supposed to do that. He rolled his eyes and I perked my ears, waiting for him to tell me. "Close your eyes and picture yourself as your human form."

I closed my eyes and did as he had instructed. A few seconds later, I could feel a cool breeze blowing against my now exposed body. Opening my eyes to search for my clothes, I noticed that Ryder was holding up his varsity jacket for me, blocking everyone's view of my nakedness. I gladly took it from him, slipping into it immediately.

Buttoning the jacket, I took turns looking at everyone who stood around me. "Would any of you mind telling me what the hell is going on?" I demanded, anger lacing my tone. "Why the hell was I just a fucking wolf?"

Kaila and Hannah shared an uncertain look, but Clayton just looked amused. "You're going to have to tell her now," he said, crossing his arms and looking me up and down, his eyes lingering on my bare legs.

Ryder let out what sounded like a growl, narrowing his eyes at Clayton; Kaila let out a growl as well. Ryder sighed as Clayton looked away, then turned to face me once more. "You're a werewolf," he stated. I could only stare at him in disbelief as he went on. "So are we, you're parents, and everyone else that lives in that house." Ryder studied the look on my face, his eyes growing dark as another growl, this one seeming to be fill with pleasure, let loose from his parted lips. "Mate," he snarled, watching as Kaila took a timid step towards me.

"Mate?" I cast a confused glance at Hannah, who was now switching her gaze from Ryder to me rapidly. "What the hell does that mean?"

Hannah glanced at me, a grin quickly covering her face. "It means that you're his soul mate. The moon Goddess made you two for each other," she explained to me as Ryder grew closer. "It's supposed to be like love at first sight. You get these tingles when you touch them, and it's like a euphoria you've never known." She smiled again. "You two are supposed to love each other no matter what, and it's very rare that mates ever reject each other, which I hope that this doesn't come to."

Furrowing my brows, I looked into Ryder's darkened eyes, wanting them to be their normal green once more. "Why would I reject him?" At this, Ryder's eyes instantly lit up, a smile lighting up his features. "He's my mate. You said I'm supposed to love him, right?" Hannah nodded. I looked back up at Ryder, a warm feeling spreading from my head to my toes.

I quickly imagined my wolf form and the next moment, I was sitting on the ground, my fluffy, black tail wagging and stirring up the leaves under it. _Then I do,_ I thought, sending it towards them.

The smiles that graced their lips made me yip happily. I watched as they each shifted into their wolves. Ryder's wolf was a midnight-black in color with ambers eyes, unlike his human form that had green eyes. Hannah and Clayton's wolves were almost identical; the only difference being the darker shade of Clayton's pelt. Finally, was Kaila. Her wolf was the complete opposite of Ryder's: pure white with bright, amber eyes.

A fifth wolf, one that I didn't recognize, emerged from the woods, and I perked my ears, asking the others who it was. _That's Paul. You know, the one who told you it was okay to use my room?_ Ryder's voice popped into my head, amusement in his tone. Paul's wolf was a mix between ginger fur and white, with ice-blue eyes. _I'm sure this is all hard to take in._

I gave him a wolfish grin, tongue lolling out of the side of my mouth. _Not really._ With that, I took off towards the mansion, my tail streaming out behind me. The others followed suit, letting out howls of happiness. It was then that I realized that I'd have to go back and get my car from the school.


	6. Chapter 6

**Get your crucifix...because Freddie's coming for you ahaha. Make sure you lock your doors ;)**

**Six**

When we got back to the mansion, we skirted the edge of the yard, staying in the trees as we made our way to the backyard. Once we were sure that no humans were around to see us, we bounded onto the clean-cut grass. I dove forward, rolling onto my back and rubbing it on the ground to get rid of the itchy sensation that had appeared only moments before. Ryder and the others watched me with amusement shining in their eyes.

As I continued to wiggle, Ryder decided to tackle me while I was distracted. Letting my instincts kick in, I rolled with his unexpected attack, using his weight against him. When the back door suddenly opened, we jumped apart, looking expectantly as the people who appeared on the patio.

My mother and father stood on the cement patio, staring at me with wide, but loving, eyes. They were both smiling, no grinning, like idiots. My mother stepped forward, covering her mouth with her hands as her eyes took in my appearance.

She took another step towards me. "Oh, sweetie," she gasped, her voice trembling with emotion. "You're so beautiful." My mother reached out with the hand that wasn't covering her face, and I went to her, my large paws pushing down the grass as I went. "I was hoping to be there when you first shifted," she started, running her hand through my fur as she kneeled in front of me. I leaned into her touch. "I always imagined what you would look like."

My father came up beside us, awe the only emotion covering his features. "I've never seen a wolf look like this."

Someone behind him spoke up. "This type of fur color combination is rare," they said. I looked around my mother to see a man wearing a long, white lab coat. Was he a doctor? A scientist? "Only a few wolves are known to have it, and only two are still alive." He paused, glancing at me. "Well, three now."

My parents shared a look before they turned their gazes on me. I could feel everyone's eyes burning into my pelt as they took in my wolf's appearance, noticing for the first time the distinct markings with surprise radiating from them. However, I was not surprised. When I was younger, I had dreamt about a wolf that looked like mine almost every night. My subconscious must have been trying to tell me something.

One of the guys I didn't know took a step towards me, reaching a hand out to touch me, but before he could, Ryder intercepted him, growling lowly. Everyone stepped away, not wanting to get in a squabble with a protective mate.

"No one touches her unless you're immediate family, close friends that are girls, or unless you've gotten permission from me," Ryder said, glaring at each person in turn. _That's ridiculous,_ I thought. "With good reason." _Uh, not going to let him do that!_

Everyone looked down, bowing their heads, causing the small growl that started up to fall silent. It was almost like it was out of respect. "Yes, Alpha," they all murmured.

_Alpha?_ "What's that mean? Alpha?" I asked after changing into human form. Looking down, I noticed I had on a dress, the top half crème colored, the bottom half black. A small, blue belt tied it all together. The colors matched those of my wolf. "Wow," I whispered, smoothing out the bottom of the dress. I then noticed that Ryder's varsity jacket had appeared on me after I shifted, even though it had shredded to pieces while we were in the forest.

Ryder turned around and looked at me, seeming to be quite surprised that I didn't know what the word Alpha meant. "What?" I scoffed and rolled my eyes as I shrugged off Ryder's jacket. "I've only been a werewolf for under an hour. How am I supposed to already know everything?" I threw the jacket at him, and he caught it quickly.

He gave me a sheepish smile, letting his arm drop back to his side. "Sorry." He looked down, then glanced up from under his lashes, clearing his throat. He brought his head up after a few seconds. "Alpha means leader, the one who's in charge of the pack." He raised a hand and gave a small wave, grinning. "That's me."

I rolled back on my heels, clasping my hands behind my back as I thought about what he said. "Is that why the other day, when I first met you, I had a weird feeling of needing to submit, even though I wasn't fully a werewolf?" Ryder nodded, smirking. I narrowed my eyes. _Dick._ "Huh."

Something stirred in the back of my mind, almost like fur brushing against my skin. Then a soft voice spoke in my mind. _Yes, and he's now our Alpha. And we are the Luna, the Alpha's mate._ I jerked back, surprised and unfamiliar with the thing inside my head. _I'm your wolf. All werewolves have one. My name's Akira._

"Did your wolf make an appearance?" My father asked, tilting his head to the side as he studied me.

I nodded distantly, only half-listening to him as Akira told me about all things werewolf. She explained to me how I could speak with Ryder and the other pack members through what was called the mind-link, which I had used earlier without realizing it. Apparently, that's how all pack members communicate with each other while in wolf form, when they're far away from each other, if they don't want anyone else to hear what they're saying, or if they're just too lazy to speak out loud. Akira also explained about the mental block that I could put up to block others from my thoughts or contacting me through mind-link. We took a few minutes for her to show me how.

Someone snapping their fingers in front of my face caused Akira and I to stop our conversation with each other mid-sentence. Akira grumbled lowly at the interruption.

_Oh stop,_ I chastised, rolling my eyes at her. Focusing on the fingers that still hung in the air in front of my face, I followed the bare arm up to the face of the owner of the snapping fingers. I smiled lightly as my gaze met Ryder's. _Besides, it's our mate who wants our attention._

Her ears perked up at this and I could feel her excitement rise. _Then give him all of it, _she purred, squirming around in my mind.

I rolled my eyes at my wolf again, realizing how much she sounded like me, and focused on Ryder once more. He flashed me a toothy-grin, one that I had to hold back my laughter at. Ryder held out a hand for me to take, and I gently placed mine in his, fiddling with the edge of my dress as he quietly led me back into the house through the sliding glass doors.

When we stepped over the threshold, I looked up at the ceiling, my eyes focusing on the chandelier that hung above us at the end of the large hallway in the foyer. The shining crystals caught my attention, and I studied them, admiring how the light was reflected off of the carefully cut corners, which sent the light every-which-way to light up the portions of the room and hallway it could reach.

I never noticed how exquisite the crystals were before I shifted, but I then understood why my parents had stared at it when we stepped into the house for the first time. It was eye-catching and dazzling to look at. To me, at least, since it was really the first chandelier I had ever seen.

I finally noticed that Ryder was staring at me as I was taking in the sight of the chandelier that hung high over my head. I felt my cheeks heat up as I looked at him. "What?" I breathed, laughing slightly while fingering the end of my dress again.

He reached over and pushed my hand away from the hem of the dress, taking it into his instead. "I like how you're so curious about everything."

Shrugging, I looked down, studying the wood panels of the floor as if they were the most interesting things in the world. I could see the grain of the wood was more defined.

My wolf spoke out in my mind. _That's not the only thing _I'm_ curious about_. When she finished speaking, my face blanched and my eyes grew wide, terrified that my own wolf would think something like that. _Well, what the hell do you expect of me? I'm an unmarked, unmated she-wolf with our unmarked, unmated mate standing in front of us._

Ryder must have noticed my face and its utterly shocked expression because he frowned and studied my face. "What's wrong?" He asked, tilting his head to the side, his dark hair shifting to the right as he did so.

I looked him in the eye, swallowing while shaking my head slightly, before looking down. _My wolf,_ I told him through mind-link, not having the courage to say it out loud. _She's being a horny teenager. _Ryder let out a hearty laugh, making my cheeks go red in embarrassment as I realized how I had phrased that. _Maybe I shouldn't have put it that way,_ I said slowly, scrunching up my nose in distaste.

It was then that I noticed that Ryder was wearing a black, button up shirt, black slacks, and black dress shoes, all topped off with a white belt that was threaded through the belt loops on the slacks. I looked down, wondering what shoes I had on and saw that they were black suede Siren Kayla shoes, something that cost so much I wouldn't have been able to buy it, even if I had a thousand dollars to spend.

Someone entered the house behind us and I turned, seeing Kaila in her human form, noticing the white and totally obvious Bandeau dress that was wrapped around her frame. The orange belt that was around her waist was the exact color of her wolf's eyes, just like mine. The Charlotte Russe heels that housed her feet almost gave me a heart attack. They had to have cost a fortune.

"Only fifty bucks," Kaila said, looking down at the white shoes while turning her left foot this way and that. It was then that I realized I hadn't blocked my thoughts. "Your shoes, however…" she trailed off, her eyes zoning in on the black heels on my feet. She shrugged, turning and going into the kitchen with Ryder and I following her. "Oh well. I'm hungry." She headed for the fridge, and then changed direction, digging through the cupboards instead. "How about some vegetable soup?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Ah, this story will be the death of me, I can tell you now. (I've been working on this since the Summer of 2014. Wow. How time flies :3**

**Seven**

Nine long hours later, I sat at the dining room table with Ryder to my left at the head of the table, and my parents to my right. My hands were immobile on my lab, waiting for someone, anyone, to make a move towards the last piece of cake that sat in the middle of the mahogany table. I couldn't take it, seeing as I already had two pieces after the two full plates of the pot roast dinner. No one twitched a finger.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, tiny Ella Rose Williams slowly pushed her plate towards the dish and looked up at her mother, from whom she got those big, blue eyes, pleadingly. Karen smiled down at Ryder's little sister before digging the chocolaty goodness from the cake stand and plopping it down on Ella's plate. As soon as the cake flopped over onto its side, unable to stay perched upright, Ella stabbed it with her fork, hungrily shoveling the cake into her mouth.

I watch, surprised, while the tiny girl gorged herself on the unhealthy food, my gaze meeting Ryder's during Ella's eating extravaganza. I gave him a questioning look, furrowing my brows as I did so. He just shrugged, giving me a small half-smile, almost as if he was saying that all of that was normal; that Ella's humongous appetite was normal. Well, as skinny as she was, I'd want to shove a bunch of food in my mouth, too. And within a few minutes, the large piece of chocolate cake was gone.

After everyone was done eating, I decided to stay and help Karen and my mother clean up the table and wash the dishes. We chatted while clearing all the dirty plates and glasses from the table, carrying them, arms full, to the sink where we tried to carefully drop them in. Karen managed to break a plate, as it had missed the sink and shattered on the floor, leaving shards and slivers of glass to get stuck in our feet. Lucky for me, I easily danced out of the way of the small, flying pieces that probably would have made their happy home embedded in my legs.

Karen let out an irritated sigh while my mom bent over and started to pick up the broken plate. I set my right foot tentatively back on the ground, careful not to step on any small, sharp pieces.

_Don't worry about getting them in your feet,_ Akira said, and I could tell she was rolling her eyes. _You're a werewolf. You can heal quicker than when you were a human._

Even with knowing that now, I still picked my way carefully around the shards of the ceramic plate to the living room. Just because I could heal quicker doesn't mean it won't hurt any less.

I headed to the foyer and up the two sets of stairs until I made it to the third floor landing. I made my way down the long hall to my room, throwing open the double doors. I abruptly stopped, my eyes widening in surprise to see Ryder sprawled out on my bed on top of the duvet. His lips were parted slightly, soft snores emerging from between them with each rise and fall of his chest.

Rolling my eyes, I moved towards him, slapping his leg that hung off the end of the bed. "Wake up, dumbass," I shouted, slapping his leg again when he only groaned in response. He didn't budge. "Alright, then, we'll do this hard way," I whispered. I rounded the bed, stopping at the right side as I shoved my hands under the mattress. I flipped it up, making Ryder roll off of the bed and land with a loud _thump_ on the carpeted floor. Ryder sat up, looking around, bewildered. "Hey, you awake yet?" I asked while dropping the mattress, pushing it back into place, and fixing the covers.

I made my way around the bed, heading towards the bathroom, when Ryder dove forward, wrapping his hand around my ankle, and pulled my leg out from under me. I quickly and painfully joined him on the floor. "What the hell was that for?" I asked him, anger lacing my tone as I glared at him in annoyance.

He looked at me pointedly as he propped his head up on his hand before replying. "Revenge for waking me up the way you did, which wasn't very nice, by the way."

"Well, if you wouldn't fall asleep on my bed, then I wouldn't have had to wake you up the way I did." In response, Ryder pushed me away from him before jumping up and running into the bathroom. "You little shit! I need the bathroom!"

"If you wouldn't lay on the floor, then I wouldn't have gotten to the bathroom before you."

"Oh, you son of a bitch," I grumbled lowly, growling as Ryder laughed joyfully while I picked myself up off of the floor. Once I was on my feet again, I glared at the white door as it shut and went to my closet instead, switching out my dress for my grey sweatpants and a blue t-shirt. "You are so not sleeping in this room anytime soon!" I shouted the last part as I walked out of the closet, carrying my favorite black sweater in my hands, which had _Duke University_ written on the front.

Upon hearing my voice, Ryder swung open the bathroom door, staring at me with his unnaturally beautiful, green eyes as he pushed out his bottom lip in a pout. He let his hand drop from the doorknob to his side, looking down at the floor before he let out a heart aching whine. My breath hitched in my throat, and I froze, sweater halfway up my arms to be put on while I stared at Ryder. It was unnatural to me to see a high school jock look like a puppy, or whine like one, for that matter. But we're werewolves, and that's what we do, apparently.

Ryder cast a glance up at me and whined again, probably hoping that I would give in, as I narrowed my eyes and finished putting on my sweater before slowly making my way to him. Once I was in front of him, I reached out and touched his chin, bringing his head up and locking my gaze with his.

I was quiet for a moment before speaking. "I probably shouldn't be falling for your cute, puppy-pout antics," I started, placing my hands on my hips, "but you're just too damn adorable for me to handle." The corners of my mouth twitched as he frowned.

"I'm not adorable," he grunted, completely serious, but his mask broke and he gave me a Cheshire grin.

I was then taken by surprise when he leaned in and gently placed his lips on mine, which caught me off guard, making my eyes widen slightly before falling closed. I leaned into him, enjoying the sparks igniting from our touch. Akira seemed to be doing back-flips with the summersaults my heart was pulling in our excitement while I returned the short-lived kiss. Pouting when he pulled away, I sighed and turned, flopping backwards onto the comfortable bed as Ryder let out a chuckle. It was only a week earlier that I had learned the bed was Ryder's before I unintentionally stole his room.

* * *

><p>Two nights later, I sat at the desk by the open closet door in my room, my pencil scribbling away as I worked on my homework that was assigned for the weekend. I listened, highly amused, to Ryder singing horribly behind the closed bathroom door in the shower as the Advanced Chemistry I was working on fried my brain.<p>

I was halfway done when the water finally shut off, and a few minutes later, a freshly clean Ryder walked out of the bathroom. I cast a glance at him, the scribbling of my pencil pausing as I did so, taking in his appearance. The towel that was wrapped around his waist caused my face to head up in a bright red color as my eyes took in his perfect v-line, defined abs, and bare chest to land on his face that looked smug. The water that ran down his torso wasn't helping me at all.

Instantly, I looked back down at my paper and finished answering the question I was working on, hoping to distract my now fumbling mind and the turned on wolf inside my head. Ryder came up behind me, placing both hands on the desk and leaned over my shoulder, eyes scanning the paper. My cheeks flamed even more at the close proximity of his almost naked body.

After a few moments, Ryder lifted a hand and pointed at the question I was about to read. "The answer to that is B-A-S-O four," he said, placing his hand back on the table. "Barium sulfate, right?" I nodded. "Yeah. I took Advanced Chemistry last year." He turned away and walked to the bed, sitting on the edge. "Ya know, because I'm a senior."

I scrunched up my nose and turned towards the boasting eighteen-year-old. "Yeah, well, Chemistry and English aren't my strong suits. Besides, since I was bumped up two grades, I'm a senior, too."

Ryder jerked his head back, eyebrows scrunching in confusion. "So, you're supposed to be, what? A sophomore?"

I threw my head back and laughed. "No," I giggled. "I'm supposed to have graduated already. You see this year, I was supposed to be a junior, but since I was bumped up two grades, I was supposed to graduate _last_ year. But I failed a class because they underestimated my abilities; I wasn't ready to be in that grade yet. My worst grade was English; hence why I hate it so much. So, here I am." I shrugged and tossed my pencil onto the desk before standing and making my way to the bed to sit beside him, trying to ignore the fact that he was practically naked. And sitting on my bed. "Does that confuse you?"

Ryder shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck before looking at me. "No, no. I think I got it." The confused expression that was still on his face said otherwise.

I smiled knowingly while Akira snorted and rolled her eyes. "Good because I _definitely_ do not want to try and explain that again." After another thirty minutes- in the last twenty, Ryder was finally fully dressed and no longer distracting- I climbed under the covers after plugging in my phone. "Ugh, God I'm so tired."

Ryder got up and rounded the bed to the side I was lying on, leaning down and placing a kiss on my lips. "Then go to bed. I'll see you in the morning." He paused, seeming to rethink what he had said. "Or around noon. Whenever you wake up."

I laughed lightly, sinking down into the soft mattress. Ryder turned away and was about to exit the room when I called him back. "Hey, Ryder?"

He looked back at me, one hand on the doorknob, the other on the light switch. "Yeah, Sky?"

Smiling at the use of my nickname, I snuggled into the duvet. "Maybe you can sleep in here tomorrow."

I could see the flash of his teeth after he turned out the light. The last thing I saw before I drifted to sleep was the light from the hallway being shut out by the wooden, double doors.


End file.
